Education stakeholders demand reforms in Federal Colleges of Education
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have called for comprehensive reforms to enhance governance, leadership, and sustainability in Federal Colleges of Education (FCEs).
The call was made after a two-day workshop themed “Governance, Leadership, Improvement and Sustainability of Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria.”
The event brought together over 120 participants, including the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmed; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle; representatives from TETFund and the Federal Ministry of Education; Governing Council chairmen; provosts; and other key education stakeholders.
Declaring the workshop open, Prof. Ahmed reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening teacher education in the country.
She noted that adequate budgetary provisions would be made annually to support accreditation and resource inspection exercises.
Participants applauded the government for appointing qualified professionals to the Governing Councils of FCEs and expressed strong support for the dual-mandate policy that enables the colleges to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree qualifications in education.
Despite the progress noted, stakeholders highlighted several pressing challenges facing the colleges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and limited investment in human capital development.
Other concerns raised were non-compliance with regulatory frameworks, insufficient learning resources, excessive financial burdens from overlapping monitoring activities, and the absence of dedicated budget lines for Governing Council functions.
The workshop concluded with a unified call for urgent reforms to address these issues and improve the overall effectiveness and sustainability of teacher education institutions in Nigeria.
To address these, the workshop recommended increased government funding for teacher education, proper implementation of the dual-mandate policy, improved ICT infrastructure, and better motivation for staff. Stakeholders also urged colleges to diversify their programmes by incorporating entrepreneurial and trade subjects to enhance the employability of NCE graduates.
Governing Councils also recommended the development of policies that could enhance effective leadership improvements and sustainability in FCEs, and should also effectively use government extant rules and regulations to promote good governance and industrial harmony in the Colleges.
“Colleges of Education should be the only authorised tertiary institutions to award all Degree programmes in Education, and the policy by the Federal Government to give stipends to NCE students as a form of motivation should be fully implemented to increase enrollment, while staff should be motivated to increase commitment and productivity in FCEs.
“The Federal Government should provide a budget line for Council activities in FCEs to enhance efficiency and good governance, and there should be effective communication and transparency in managing the affairs of the Colleges. Through TETFund, the federal government should also provide intervention on security and power in FCEs.
“Other recommendations are that the Federal Government should increase funding in teacher education, while both the councils and Management should seek alternative sources to shore up the finances of the institutions, and should ensure accountability and good management of scarce resources”, the communique issued at the end of the workshop.
Other resolutions included strengthening collaborations with communities and international development partners, ensuring transparent governance, and reviewing security outsourcing policies to improve campus safety.
The communique also appreciated the federal government for the release of revitalization funds and called for sustained support to maintain and upgrade physical facilities in the colleges.
